This invention relates to inflatable evacuation slide devices and particularly to such devices which comprise a dual lane slide panel and two independently inflatable chambers, each formed by assemblies of interconnecting tubular members.
Structures such as aircraft, off-shore drilling platforms and the like are often equipped with inflatable evacuation slide devices for use by persons wishing to quickly vacate the structure in the event of an emergency. These slide devices are normally stored uninflated on the structure in a position readily available for quick deployment.
Some of these slides are structural combinations of two fluidly independent, inflatable assemblies of tubular members defining independent chambers so that the loss or lack of the inflation medium from one chamber does not cause total collapse of the device but, rather, leaves an inflated assembly available for safe usage. Dual chambered slide devices should thus be designed to maintain utility in the event one chamber fails to inflate or is suddently deflated. However, because of particular choices in tubular member design, the use of such known devices as a slide when only one of the chambers is inflated is not without problems. Examples of known prior art slides are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,712,417; 3,827,094; 3,833,088 and 3,860,984.
For example, if what is commonly known as the upper chamber is inflated, the slide surface can be substantially without side rails protecting against a person sliding off the device at points along the length of the device. Alternatively, when what is commonly known as the lower chamber is deflated, the slide panel may lose its dual lane contour and reform itself as a deep trough with essentially no support along its underside.
Further, several of the more recent slide systems use truss members extending transversely on the underside of the slide panel to add rigidity to the slide panel device and holds the slide in an extended position laterally. Note U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,641 for example. These truss members usually are composed of inflated tubes or bags which are interconnected with one or the other of the two chambers comprising the slide device. Loss of one chamber may thus result in a slide without an effective lateral truss support.